RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil's star forward Neymar has declared himself a "new man", saying he has accepted criticism of his behaviour during the FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The 26-year-old was widely accused of play-acting and diving during the tournament, drawing sharp criticism from fans and inspiring countless Internet memes.

In a video published by one of his sponsors late on Sunday, the Brazilian admitted he exaggerated some of his reactions to being fouled, reports Xinhua news agency.

"You may think I exaggerate. And sometimes I do exaggerate. But the truth is I suffer on the pitch," Neymar said in the advertisement.

"You may think I fall too much. But the truth is I did not fall. I fell apart. I took a long time to accept your criticism. I took a long time to look at myself in the mirror and become a new man."

Footie Falls: When Ronaldo, Neymar Fell Flat On Their Face

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Legends Of The Fall

19 Jun, 2018

A rumble here, a tumble there. The action-packed FIFA World Cup sent these football stars crashing to the ground.

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The Brazilian talisman scored just twice in five matches in a Brazil side that was eliminated following a 1-2 defeat to Belgium in the quarter-finals.

His diving, rolling around and constant arguing with the referees were not the only causes for criticism during the competition.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward was accused of seeking attention by crying before television cameras after Brazil's 2-0 victory over Costa Rica in their second group match.

And he was widely lambasted in the Brazilian press for refusing to give interviews during and after the tournament.

Sportsmen Or Spatsmen? When Neymar And Other Sport Stars Had On and Off-Field Verbal Duels

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Neymar vs Josep Maria Bartomeu

2 Oct, 2017

Football star Neymar and Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s verbal duel reached a point where Neymar called him a “joke”. Instances of players clashing with team owners and coaches are a dime a dozen.

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The rift between the Indian chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand and doubles ace Jwala Gutta is well-known.
It all began in 2015, when Gutta said that Gopichand, who was coaching her, denied her “rightful acknowledgment” of her performance.
She also felt a general lack of support and funds. While Gopichand did not retaliate then, he recently spoke about their feud.
“I have forwarded names for funding to the sports ministry whenever required.
Apart from that, what more can we do? I do not know why she goes on maligning me everywhere.”
Earlier this year as well, Gutta said that Gopichand had “let her down”.

Umar Akmal vs Mickey Arthur

2 Oct, 2017

Last month, the Pakistani batsman accused his team’s coach of verbally abusing him at the National Cricket Academy.
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When the head coach is allowed to swear at someone, that is unacceptable,” he said.
Arthur, however responded to Akmal’s allegations with a scathing response — “Akmal cannot expect that the support staff, who are for contracted players, are at his beck and call.”
Clearly there is bad blood between them.

Rafa Benitez vs Mike Ashley

2 Oct, 2017

The Newcastle United FC manager and its owner, English billionaire retail entrepreneur Mike Ashley, have been at loggerheads over buying players.
The two reached a tipping point when Ashley told the media that the team does not have the budget to buy players, which ticked Benitez off.
The Spaniard was quoted saying, “I can’t change what Mike Ashley said and I cannot change anything about our situation now in terms of the market, the transfer window and what we have to do.”

Lewis Hamilton vs Toto Wolff

2 Oct, 2017

Last year, the F1 racer was fi ghting for the championship title with teammate Nico Rosberg, who went on to win the title.
Hamilton felt that the German team and boss Wolff were giving Rosberg, who is also a German, undue advantage. Mercedes and Wolff both lashed out at Hamilton for not playing the team game.
Their discord made headlines for quite some time.

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"When I leave without giving interviews it is not because I only want the spoils of victory. It is because I still haven't learned to disappoint you. When I look impolite, it is not because I am a spoiled kid. It is because I have not learned how to be frustrated," he said.

Neymar recognized that his brand of football "sometimes charms the world, sometimes irritates the whole world".

At the end of the advertisement, he called on Brazilians to support him as he attempts to regain the respect of the football world.

"You can keep casting stones. Or throw these stones away and help me stand. When I stand, all of Brazil stands with me," he added.

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